Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors, Meet Carrieanne

One thing that immediately stands out about Carrieanne Holt is her dedication to enhancing her community’s financial literacy. Her dedication is inspiring, igniting a spark in those around her to strive for economic empowerment.

Carrieanne discovered her passion for teaching financial literacy, which eventually transferred to her career as manager of PACU’s Charlotte through volunteering in her community.

Her bond with PACU and Winston-Salem is not just professional but personal. Her family members were part of US Airways when it merged with Piedmont Airlines, which brought them to Winston-Salem.

“My mom has been a member for years, going back to my childhood,” Carrieanne shared. “It was a heartwarming, full-circle moment when I took the position with PACU, which holds a special place in our family's history.”

Carrieanne’s financial experience shaped her into who she is today and inspired her to take what she learned to help others. Continuing her skillset of assisting members financially is part of why Carrieanne became a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor.

Her approach to financial counseling is deeply rooted in her personal experiences. She believes in providing the information she wishes she had when she was younger. Carrieanne aims to empower her clients with financial knowledge, making it easy to understand and manage. By creating a personalized plan that suits each individual, she ensures they will have a better economic position in the long run.

What’s Carrieanne’s favorite part about financial counseling? The initial meeting with the member.

“You can’t create a path to get to where you want to be financially without first knowing where you are,” Carrieanne said. “That first meeting can be emotional due to stress or disappointment, but I will be your biggest cheerleader. It’s exciting to start the journey of getting to know who you’re working with and making a plan to learn and grow together.”

Throughout her time at PACU, Carrieanne has had the privilege to work with many members whose stories have impacted her, such as one man she worked with whose loan application was initially denied.

“It was a tough conversation because he was upset about not being approved, so we dug into the reasons why,” Carrieanne said. “He knew he wanted to buy a house, so we set up a plan, and every three months, we would check in to see how it was going. After 18 months, his credit score was at a spot where he could qualify for a mortgage. It was a great day when he called me and told me his mortgage had been approved.”

Along with creating relationships with members to better themselves financially, Carrieanne also thinks staying up-to-date with financial news and the stock market is essential. Given the abundance of financial jargon, she believes it is crucial to keep informed so she can answer any questions her members may have.

Carrieanne’s advice for improving your financial health is simple yet powerful: have a budget and pay yourself first. These two practices can put you in the driver's seat of your financial journey, giving you a sense of control and security.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s even written on the back of a napkin; just make sure to have a budget written down,” Carrieanne said. “It is an easy way to keep track of bills, gift purchases and whatever else you spend money on so that there are no surprises.”

Pay yourself first, or set aside a set amount each month in your savings so that if emergencies happen, you have something to fall back on.

For more financial trips or to learn more about her journey and passion for financial literacy, contact Carrieanne at [email protected].